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The Unravelling of Lizzie Mayhew
A previous cover edition for this ASIN can be found here
Reality is fraying and Lizzie Mayhew is already starting to come apart.
When hospice worker Lizzie receives a dying man’s final words and an unwanted parcel, she’s drawn into a chilling mystery rooted in a forgotten past. A post office shooting shatters the illusion of normality, and as the world begins to unravel, Lizzie and Detective Marla Keen find their lives entwined in something far darker than either imagined.
Brimton is a village out of time, where shadows stretch too long, the dead won’t stay buried, and memories can’t be trusted. As the investigation deepens, trauma resurfaces, strange symbols emerge from the woods, and the Ferrymen draw closer.
To survive, Lizzie must confront the terrifying truth about her identity, her past, and the world she was never meant to awaken from.
A dark, atmospheric thriller blending police procedural, psychological horror, and speculative sci-fi, The Unravelling of Lizzie Mayhew is perfect for fans of Blake Crouch, Alex Garland, and Dark.
Reality is fraying and Lizzie Mayhew is already starting to come apart.
When hospice worker Lizzie receives a dying man’s final words and an unwanted parcel, she’s drawn into a chilling mystery rooted in a forgotten past. A post office shooting shatters the illusion of normality, and as the world begins to unravel, Lizzie and Detective Marla Keen find their lives entwined in something far darker than either imagined.
Brimton is a village out of time, where shadows stretch too long, the dead won’t stay buried, and memories can’t be trusted. As the investigation deepens, trauma resurfaces, strange symbols emerge from the woods, and the Ferrymen draw closer.
To survive, Lizzie must confront the terrifying truth about her identity, her past, and the world she was never meant to awaken from.
A dark, atmospheric thriller blending police procedural, psychological horror, and speculative sci-fi, The Unravelling of Lizzie Mayhew is perfect for fans of Blake Crouch, Alex Garland, and Dark.
- GenresAmazon
286 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 1, 2025
About the author
Matthew Shaw
3 books3 followersMatthew is an indie author with a serious running problem. Married with two children he spends his “free” time either training for and running ultra marathons, or writing science fiction stories. He is passionate about writing and loves to create entertaining stories that carry deeper, hidden meaning. Mostly he likes to write about badass heroines & heroes taking on dark insidious baddies in corrupt unjust worlds. To provide the necessities of food and shelter Matthew works full time combining his love of the geological and physical sciences. He lives in Western Australia with his wife, two children and joyful puppy.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
August 9, 2025
I really enjoyed the beginning and ending of the book.
The world building is vivid yet grounded. Characters and locations are lived in and genuine, relatable and flawed.
Excellent descriptions throughout - the book twists from a police drama that wouldn’t look out of place on BBC or ITV, and ends as a conceptual and philosophical transcendence into pure sci-fi, sprinkled with some horror.
There was probably enough sci-fi drip fed in as the book progressed, but the final act does shift heavily towards sci-fi - however this is earned and the characters remain grounded and easy to root for.
In spite of a handful of typos here and there, and a middle act that loses a little focus, the writing on display here is fantastic - an absolute joy - and I’m excited to see what else the author has to offer.
The world building is vivid yet grounded. Characters and locations are lived in and genuine, relatable and flawed.
Excellent descriptions throughout - the book twists from a police drama that wouldn’t look out of place on BBC or ITV, and ends as a conceptual and philosophical transcendence into pure sci-fi, sprinkled with some horror.
There was probably enough sci-fi drip fed in as the book progressed, but the final act does shift heavily towards sci-fi - however this is earned and the characters remain grounded and easy to root for.
In spite of a handful of typos here and there, and a middle act that loses a little focus, the writing on display here is fantastic - an absolute joy - and I’m excited to see what else the author has to offer.
August 2, 2025
Unknown
I'm normally not drawn to sci-fi but this book was different. The title alone grabbed my attention. Part thriller alot sci-fi, I found this book to be a real pageturner. Kept me on the edge of my seat, definitely had piqued my interest for sure. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Have to check out other books by this author.
I'm normally not drawn to sci-fi but this book was different. The title alone grabbed my attention. Part thriller alot sci-fi, I found this book to be a real pageturner. Kept me on the edge of my seat, definitely had piqued my interest for sure. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Have to check out other books by this author.
August 24, 2025
A great horror tale which will make you jump as strange noises in the house. She receives a parcel from a dying man and she will be pulled into a dark mystery she should never have entered. Life will get creepy for her as she looks into it all. Great story
I received an advance copy from hidden gems and a great creepy read
I received an advance copy from hidden gems and a great creepy read
September 2, 2025
This was an unexpected little gem. This is the first book that I've read by this author and I definitely enjoyed the mix of thriller/sci-fi that it offered. It kept me reading to see what was going to happen next. Definitely enjoyed.
March 4, 2026
Strange
I thought this book sounded very good But once I got into it I found out it was very strange and hard to keep up with the characters are so mixed up it's difficult to tell which 1 they're writing about And the times that they're in
I thought this book sounded very good But once I got into it I found out it was very strange and hard to keep up with the characters are so mixed up it's difficult to tell which 1 they're writing about And the times that they're in
July 28, 2025
While I'm not averse to Sci-Fi reads, this book was confusing to me most of the way through it.
It did keep me reading because I wanted to see what happened next.
It did keep me reading because I wanted to see what happened next.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews